


Come Back to Me

by OnceUponACaskett



Category: The Shannara Chronicles (TV)
Genre: F/F, post 2x02, we're ignoring Lyria in this one
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-22
Updated: 2017-10-22
Packaged: 2019-01-21 09:44:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12454755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OnceUponACaskett/pseuds/OnceUponACaskett
Summary: During Eretria's journey to find Wil before it's too late, Amberle pays her a long overdue visit in her sleep.





	Come Back to Me

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first Shannara fanfic so I hope it goes well and you guys like it. Like I said in the tags, we're kind of ignoring that Lyria's a thing here and that she and Eretria were together in the episode. The two of them are cute together, but I'd drop Lyretria like a hot potato for Princess Rover if Amberle ever showed up again (we can hope, can't we?).
> 
> Anyway, let me know if you guys liked this or not and if you want me to write anything else about Princess Rover. I'm open to pretty much anything. Enjoy :)

Eretria sighed as she laid down on the hard ground, nestled between the large roots of a tree. She’d traveled all night, forcing herself to keep walking until her legs wanted to give out. The last few days had been draining and the constant stress was finally taking its toll on her.

She’d spotted this tree with its roots large enough to keep her mostly hidden and had decided that it wouldn’t be a horrible idea to just rest for an hour or so. After all, she’d be absolutely useless in helping Wil if she was completely exhausted by the time she reached him. She must have underestimated exactly how tired she was, though, because the instant her head touched the mossy tree bark, she fell asleep.

\--------------------

_Eretria opened her eyes and was surprised to find herself not in the forest, but standing in the Ellcrys sanctuary, the massive tree stretching proudly up towards the skies. Her breath caught in her throat as she noticed the figure standing directly across from her at the base of the tree. Amberle._

_Eretria began shaking her head in disbelief. “Is this a dream?”_

_Amberle smiled softly. “In a manner of speaking.”_

_Eretria scoffed lightly. “Don’t give me that vague bullshit, Princess.”_

_"Well, you’re asleep so I suppose this could be considered a dream to you. However, I am very much real and here with you so…in a way this isn’t a dream at all. It’s real.”_

_"Look at you,” Eretria chuckled darkly. “You become a tree and suddenly you start speaking in riddles and obnoxious wisdom. ‘Find Wil, Eretria. A darkness is coming, Eretria.’ What? You couldn’t just reach out because you missed me?”_

_"A darkness_ is _coming, Eretria,” Amberle said. “My warnings were not to be taken lightly.”_

_“I know. Why do you think I’m busting my ass so hard trying to find him?” she snapped._

_Amberle clasped her hands together in front of her and began wringing them, uncertainty written on her face. A moment of uncomfortable silence passed before she said, “You’re angry.”_

_“You know, I’ve spent the last year being lied to,” Eretria said. “I thought that Wil never came back for me. I thought that_ you _never even let me pass through your mind after you came home; that you and Wil were just living it up here in paradise. Together. Just leaving me behind like I always am._

 _“And then last night I’m told that that’s all wrong. That Wil had run off to become a healer and_ you _, Amberle, are now a fucking tree. You knew what you’d have to do from the moment you stepped out of the Bloodfire, didn’t you? You knew and you didn’t tell either of us.”_

_Amberle swallowed hard and looked down at her feet. “I thought that—perhaps if I had told you right then—that…that I wouldn’t have the strength to go through with it.”_

_Eretria clenched her jaw, her nostrils flaring slightly as she tried to control her breathing._

_“I didn’t want this, Eretria. I wanted nothing more than to bring an actual seed to the Ellcrys and come back to the real world with you and Wil. But this was my destiny. If I hadn’t done this then we’d all be dead and—”_

_She stopped as Eretria stalked forward and threw her arms around her shoulders, pulling her in close for a painfully tight hug. She was startled by the unusual physical contact from the former Rover, but quickly relaxed, letting her body melt against her._

_They stood locked together for several long minutes, neither wanting to separate. When they finally pulled apart, Amberle opened her mouth to speak, but was abruptly cut off by the feeling of a hand slapping her across the face._

_"Ow!” she yelped, her hand cradling her aching cheek. “What was that for?”_

_“_ That _, Princess, was for not telling me that had to become a tree. It’s also for not letting me say goodbye.”_

_“Was the slap really necessary?”_

_Eretria shrugged unapologetically. “Yes. This, though…this is for all the wasted opportunities we had.” She wrapped a hand around the back of Amberle’s neck and pulled her forward to connect their lips._

_The second they touched, sparks of fire shot through her body. Amberle’s lips were soft as they gently caressed her own. She felt Amberle’s hands grasp her hips and pull her closer so that there was barely an inch of space left between them._

_Eretria broke the kiss with a shaky breath, overwhelmed by how much one small kiss had affected her. Glancing up at Amberle, she saw the same to be true for her as well. Amberle still had her eyes closed and was biting down on her bottom lip, a dreamy smile etched on her face._

_"Your ears are red,” Eretria told her._

_Immediately, Amberle’s eyes shot open and her hands went to cover her ears in embarrassment. “They, uh…they only do that when—”_

_"When you’re turned on?” Eretria teased, smirking when she saw the blush on Amberle’s cheeks deepen. She moved the hand on the back of Amberle’s neck up to stroke the tip of one pointed ear, stifling her laughter when she saw her visibly shiver. Elven ears must be more sensitive to touch than human ones, she supposed. Or maybe it was just Amberle. Either way, it didn’t stop her mind from racing to think of all the ways she could use this fact to torture Amberle with._

_“I thought you were mad at me,” Amberle said, her head tilting slightly towards Eretria’s still wandering hand._

_Eretria laughed. “Oh, believe me, I still am. But this is the first time—other than your little water vision—that I’ve gotten to see you in a year. Why would I spend this entire time angry when I don’t know how much longer I have?”_

_Suddenly, Amberle looked very sad. “Speaking of….”_

_Eretria got the hint. “It’s time for you to go, huh?”_

_“Yes. I have matters to attend to elsewhere and you have to wake up and find Wil.” She sighed. “I wish…I wish it didn’t have to be like this. I wish I could offer you more than just a few dream visits in your sleep. You deserve better.”_

_"How about you let_ me _decide what I deserve?” Eretria said, raising her chin stubbornly. “I wanna keep seeing you Amberle. In any way you’ll let me. I can’t go another year without hearing from you again.”_

_Amberle cradled Eretria’s face and brought their foreheads to rest against one another. “I never truly leave you, Eretria. I’m always with you, wherever you go. But you’re right: neither of us can do that again. Especially not after this. You found your way under my skin, Rover.”_

_"Shouldn’t it be ‘bark’ now?” Eretria joked._

_Amberle pulled back and leveled her with an exasperated look. “Don’t make_ me _have to slap_ you _now.”_

_Eretria then felt something tugging at her back as if trying to pull her away, instantly triggering her fighting instincts._

_"Don’t fight it,” Amberle told her, after seeing her panicked look. “It’s time. Go. Find Wil and keep each other safe.” She stepped forward and placed one last kiss on Eretria’s lips. “We will see each other again very shortly. That, I can promise you.”_

_Eretria could do nothing but watch as Amberle faded into nothingness before everything went dark._

_\--------------------_

Eretria sat up with a gasp, her eyes scanning her surroundings wildly. When she confirmed that nothing seemed out of the ordinary, she leaned back against the base of the tree and thought about what had just happened.

She had seen Amberle; had talked with Amberle. There was no way that was just a simple dream. It had to be more than that. It just had to be. Because Eretria wasn’t ready to even consider the possibility that maybe it had all been in her head. Maybe it was just a dream after all.

But it couldn’t be. Eretria held up the fingers of one hand and gently pressed them against her lips. They were still tingling. Something that only Amberle could accomplish. She could still feel the way Amberle’s lips had moved over her own; how warm and soft and supple they had been. It was everything she had ever imagined it would be and more.

The screech of a nearby bird shook her out of her reverie and brought her back to real life. Gathering up her things, she set off on her journey once again, shoving Amberle to the back of her mind and Wil to the fore. Not that it mattered. She was sure she’d be seeing her Princess again soon enough anyway.

And she couldn’t wait for it.


End file.
